1

I'm very sorry, but taking a taxi at maybe now 5 am is like asking to be robbed. Read all the postings about people who took taxi at Dar airport or Ubungo bus terminal and being droven to dark areas, kicked out of the cab with all possible money drawn from ATMs with their debit card, and you know, how dangerous this is. Unless you know a reliable cab, you shouldn't try this.
Johannes

2

Hi "Ridehome" - yes I would tend to agree with Jo that taxis before 6 am would be a bit risky. However as you will have to pass through Immigration / Customs etc it will be after 5. am by the time you get out. My recommendation would be to wait a while, there should be a coffee shop open where you can chill (in 27' C heat and 90% humidity that is). A taxi (licence ones have a blue stripe around them) will cost around 30,000 Tsh (or $20 US). The first ferry is usually departing at around 7.00/7.30 am. As a foreigner it will cost you $35-40 depending on which ferry you take (try to get either of the Kilimanjaro group ferries - safer, newer, more reliable). As you have been before you will have all your vaccinations up to date. They check for Yellow Fever!!

As for money - officially only the Tanzanian Shilling (TSh) is accepted - however you can usually negotiate prices in US dollars. From my experience Euros were less acceptable except in the resorts on the East Coast that are managed by European organisations and have large numbers of EU guests.

I spent 7 weeks on the island back in 2011 and love the place - you don't say when you are arriving - but from late March the long rainy season will commence. During May many of the smaller, family operated hotels, are closed for maintenance or their own holidays. Hope you have a great time (and that this post is not to late to help - we have been cut off from LP-TT since before Christmas) Rgs O_Mike

3

Hi everyone!

Just been reading through this here post and I felt I had to register so that I can also contribute and perhaps straighten a few things.

First of all, in the six years I have worked as a taxi driver within the vicinity of the airport, I have never heard of any visitor that was mugged or robbed as a result of taking a Taxi. This may be very different if the said visitor opted to take a Daladala (commuter bus). All taxis operating at the airport are registered with the airport police and licensed to operate at the airport. It is therefore a lot risky for the driver to commit a criminal act as their details will be with the police database.

On several occasions I have picked up fare at 4am (Turkish airlines) without any problems whatsoever. My advise to you ALONGRIDEHOME will be to go to the airport taxi desk and get a licensed taxi from there. Prices are also indicated on a notice board by the desk. These do tend to be a bit more pricier but they are well worth it.

4

Okay Mchagga, I have also a reliable driver, when I'm in Dar, but don't go only to this post, go also to posts from last year, you will find as I remeber at least four posts, where even a trafiki was in the cab. There is also a warning on the site of British Government. It happened, and it will happen in the future.
Johannes

5

Thanks for these posts. I took a cab from the airport at about 6am and paid 25,000tsh with another tourist who was on the same Turkish airlines flight. He wanted to get a daladala, but I told him he would be better spending a few more $ to take a taxi. It was fine. I took the 7am ferry to Zanzibar and paid $35.

6

My advice would be to wait until dawn to take the taxi, for safety reasons. Not a problem because it will take you some time to clear customs. It should cost you about 50,000 TSh (maybe slightly less) to get from the airport to the ferry terminal.

The ferry terminal is a bit chaotic. Get the taxi driver to drive you directly to the Azam office. Azam offers the best ferries. They are high speed and safe---other services are not. Don't bother buying air-con first class tickets. The air-con cabin is too cold and it's much more enjoyable to sit outside. Do not buy a ticket from the many touts who will try to tell you that the Azam offices are closed or that they have Azam tickets.

When you get out of the taxi, right in front of the Azam offices, go directly into their office and buy your ticket there. When you get your ticket ask them where exactly do you go to board the ferry. When you come out of the building with your ticket the entrance is mabye 50 feet to the right. Do not take advice from touts who will guide you to the wrong ferry.

7

#6 - if you had read the post from our OP #5 you will see he is already arrived in TZ

8

Hey, this is the post I had just typed a reply to when the TT went down without prior warning. Glad you made it to Zanzibar safely even without my reply...

9

Yeh - Stefo - slowly the system is coming back to almost normal. Now if only we can have all the old but very useful stuff back (inc PM). Hope all is well with the family, best wished for 2013. O_Mike

10

Thanks, same to you.

11

Check out my post on taxis